A Light in the Darkness
by Shaunsie
Summary: One-shot AU fic: Regina was forced into marrying King Leopold, a kind, honorable King... Or so everyone thought. What horrors and hurt lay behind closed doors? Will Regina be able to find a light in the darkness that devours her. Rated T for suggested adult themes.


**A/N: Hey guys. So, I decided to make a short one-shot fanfiction based on one of my role-plays and storylines that I have going on. It starts at the time of Regina's marriage to the King. This is completely AU from OUAT and if you find this offensive (especially if you're a fan of Leopold) then I'm sorry. I would also like to give credit to one of my best friends, Megan for actually coming up with this whole storyline, I did write it myself but the credit for the idea goes wholly to her. Xx**

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><p><em>Warning: It does make mentions to rape, abuse and child abuse. But nothing is in detail.<em>

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><p><em>Copyright: I do not own these characters, nor do I wish too. Adam and Eddie to a great job on their own.<em>

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><p><strong>A Light in the Darkness.<strong>

Regina had gone into her marriage with Leopold against her will, but by her mother's command. Growing up with Cora, Regina knew exactly how a "mask" looked and to everyone the King was a kind man, a good King but underneath that, behind closed doors he was cruel and heartless, even with a heart. The King had been good to Regina for the time leading up to their marriage, he was kind and somewhat loving. But Regina knew that behind those small caresses, those little compliments that made Regina cringe, that the man's eyes were cold and dark. Once they were legally wed, the King started ignoring Regina, and though she didn't mind at all that she was without his presence, she grew worried about what would happen in the future.

Then there was little perfect Snow White. The only person Leopold was genuinely kind to, his perfect little princess. Regina hated that little brat. True, Snow drove her down the path of darkness when she had blurted that secret to Cora. The secret that got Daniel, her true love, her salvation, killed. Every single time she looked at the young girl anger, hurt, _disgust _would boil up inside her and it took her all not to turn into a cruel woman, like her mother was, and get rid of the child. Despite this though, Regina also tended to feel sympathetic to Snow, the reason being the girl's father but also Regina saw some of herself in Snow, her resilience, the strong will, the passion she showed for things. If Daniel had not been killed because of the royal brat, Regina could easily find herself being the type of mother Snow needed and that made her even angrier.

Only a year or so into the unfortunate marriage the King started coming to Regina's chambers in the dead of the night. Regina knew in her gut that this was bound to happen sooner or later. A man could do anything he liked to his wife, she was his property and especially because Leopold was a King this was even more so. From her first day at the castle she had taken note that he'd positioned her rooms away from the rest of the castle. This became even more 'convenient' for the King as no one, not even the servants could hear Regina's screams and cries of pain and the King roughly took away her dignity every single night. Sometime he would remain in her chambers all night, taking her over and over again until she was bruised and bleeding.

After months of the King visiting her in her chambers, Regina had developed a shell around herself. What would normally be an act of love, of intimacy to the normal married couple became a chore to Regina. She would lay in her bed at night just waiting for those large engraved doors to swing open and for the King to be standing there in nothing but his robe. She closed her eyes every time she heard the doors creak and her eyes didn't open again until they shut loudly behind the King as he retreated back to his own chambers. Soon enough the King started requesting that Regina would come to his chambers, he now trusted her enough to not scream and to do exactly what he said. It was the hardest thing for Regina to do, to get dress up for the King and to walk across the castle, always accompanied by guards to the awaiting King.

Another few months past and the King still requested Regina's presence every night. Soon though, she was looking at herself in the mirror in her chambers, she turned on the side and ran her hand slowly over her stomach through her silk and lace nightgown. The small bump was evident as she ran her hand down her stomach. Straight away tears welled up in her eyes, she covered the mirror and crawled into bed. She was going to have a _baby. _She absolutely _hated _the idea of having this child, she hated it for so many reasons. She was so scared it would turn out deformed or that it would like it's disgusting father. Oh, she hated that the _evil _man was able to get her pregnant and she knew he was not going to like the idea. He had his precious Snow, he didn't want or need another child, especially her child.

It wasn't until well into her 4th month of being pregnant that anyone noticed, she'd kept the pregnancy well hidden and even then a very observant Snow had spotted her swollen stomach under one of her more tight fitting gowns. To Regina's complete and utter surprise, the girl was excited about the prospect of having a sibling, especially when that sibling would be part Regina. Regina begged Snow to keep it quiet until she could tell the King about the child herself and she had actually thought Snow might keep her promise this time. But when the King stormed into her chambers later that night, she knew Snow had again told her secret. The King was outraged at the news and it was the first time the King had actually hit Regina. He sent her spinning across the room, he wanted that child gone and he did everything he could to get rid of it, he kicked her, he beat her until she couldn't stand on her own anymore. It was the first time Regina felt protective of her child, the first time she felt love for the life growing inside her. Despite the King being the child's biological father, this baby was _hers, _it was a part of her and she cherished that life.

Regina was barely seen around the castle for the remainder of her pregnancy, the King kept her locked away in her chambers so the Kingdom wouldn't know about the next soon to be princess. He had taken the liberty of hiring ladies in waiting and nurses to aid Regina in her pregnancy. After the King's brutal assault, Regina's health quickly deteriorated and the pregnancy became almost unbearable to suffer through. Snow had requested to see her step mother many times in the months leading up to the baby's birth but Regina would not allow her access to the room, she was even more spiteful to Snow now that she had told two secrets and the latest almost killed Regina and her unborn child. In those months locked away Regina's anger at the King and at Snow grew and grew. It started turning her heart dark, she could feel darkness start to take over but she tried to fight it. She _had_ to fight it, for herself and for her child. Her child would not grow up with a mother whose heart was dark, like she had.

Her contractions started in the middle of the night, she cried out for the nurses who ran from the surrounding rooms to aid Regina in the birth of her child. It took until midday of the next day before the baby came into the world. The labor was the most painful experience Regina had ever felt, and she thought nothing could be as bad as what the King had done to her. There were several complications during the labor that the nurses did their best to correct and by midday Regina's beautiful baby girl was born. At first that same hate she had felt when she first found out she was pregnant bubbled back up but the second Regina held her daughter the whole world around her changed. She was the most perfect small human being Regina had ever laid eyes on. The little girl already had a little tuft of Regina's dark hair on her head and looking into her baby's eyes was like looking into a mirror. Her daughter was the spitting image of herself, she could barely find a single of Leopold's traits in the tiny girl she held so tenderly in her arms. In the months leading up to her birth, Regina had thought long and hard on what to name her child. Her mother had named her a name that Cora wanted her to live up to, Queen. But Regina wanted to name her child something she already was and so she chose Eden as a first name, meaning 'delight' and Maybelle as a second name, a name meaning 'lovable'.

Eden was Regina's light in the darkness that surrounded her at the castle, every time she was with Eden she felt alive and happy but when they were parted she wanted nothing more than to have her in her arms again.  
>Regina tried the best she could to keep the little girl out of harm's way, away from Leopold. She was able to do so for the time Eden was a baby, until she was about a year old. Suddenly Leopold had an interest in his daughter, he came to visit Regina and Eden, he even brought Snow along and told the guards to give Snow access to her sister and step mother as much as she wanted. As Eden grew up Regina still did her best to keep her out of the prying cold eyes of the King. Snow and Eden, however, had a strong bond, if Regina didn't hold a grudge against Snow, the interactions between the two would be heart-warming.<p>

On Eden's third birthday the King had taken it upon himself to have scheduled 'bonding' times with his toddler daughter. Regina tried her best to object to these but the King wouldn't have it. Regina never truly knew what the King did to the little girl, the way he treated her. But from experience she could only imagine and it made her sick to her stomach. The mere thought of that cruel man hurting her daughter made Regina's heart sink back into the darkness. She went through the motions of formulating a plan to get rid of the King once and for all. She let her hate and anger take control of her, her conscience was nearly non-existent in the process of her assassination plans. It only took a few months before Regina had gotten the genie that the King was so fond of to fall for her and to put the snake that would be the King's death sentence in his chambers. Regina used the little magic she had to watch through one of the mirrors in the King's chambers as the snake slithered under the sheets and bit him. The venom of this particular snake was deadly, but it worked its way through the blood stream slowly and was an excruciating experience for the victim.

Finally, Regina had freed herself and her daughter from the man who had caused so much pain and heart ache to them both. Regina hated him with all her soul but the one thing she could thank him for was making her strong and giving her Eden. Even though the Queen remained "evil", her heart dark and cruel, she always had that one spot of light and love for her daughter. For her daughter was her light in the darkness, her salvation, her one true love.

"Mama?" said a three year old Eden as she snuggled up to her mother in the large bed in Regina's new and vastly better chambers.

"Yes, my princess?" she replied softly, running her fingers through the toddlers dark locks to comfort her.

"I'm glad that Papa is gone… will he come back?" she whispered, the fear evident in her voice which shattered Regina's heart.

She smiled lightly and lifted her daughter up, looking into those dark, trusting eyes, "No, my princes, Papa is never coming back… You're safe now. Nothing bad will ever happen to you again."

Eden gave a little nod and snuggled back into her mother's embrace, "I love you so much, Mama"

Regina's smile widened as she whispered back, "I love you too, Eden."

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><p><strong>AN: It's me again! Please, _please, _review! I would really appreciate the feedback Xx**


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